


Your Entertainment

by Switch842



Category: Glee
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-26
Updated: 2013-03-04
Packaged: 2017-11-04 09:08:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/392138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switch842/pseuds/Switch842
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt Hummel has finally made it to New York, but nothing has worked out the way he imagined. Lonely and scared in the big city, Kurt turns to the internet to help him meet his needs. What happens when the literal man of his dreams walks into Kurt's life?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is all Birdie's fault with her porn spams on tumblr. My brain latched on to the idea of Blaine as a model and Kurt becoming obsessed with him. This was just supposed to be fun porn times, but as usual, it got a little bit away from me, and then, well angst. But there's still plenty of sexytimes!  
> And song title from "For Your Entertainment" by Adam Lambert.

New York was not everything Kurt Hummel hoped it would be. It was loud and smelly and dirty and overwhelming and he had no idea what he was doing here. The only reason he'd stayed was that there was nothing for him back in Ohio ever since his dad had passed away. With that last tie gone, Kurt figured it was time to get on with things. So, he quit college, packed up and moved to New York where his dreams of being discovered and taking Broadway by storm were slowly falling apart.

Instead, he shared a cramped apartment on St. Mark's with a guy he never sees, had a job at a tiny coffee shop two blocks away and that's the extent of his life. He had no real friends to speak of. Sure, he was friendly enough with his coworkers but considering he never saw them outside the shop, it was difficult to call them _friends_. 

His romantic life was an even bigger mess. He had hoped that New York would help him out of his shell and that he might finally meet the man of his dreams, but the insanity of the city only reinforced his feelings of loneliness and despair. It seemed all anybody wanted was immediate gratification. He'd tried going out a few times when he first got to the city, but the bar scene was just too sleazy for him. He wanted romance and tenderness, not a quick fumble in a dirty bathroom stall.

And not even the internet could give him what he was looking for. Everything was all in your face smut that just left Kurt feeling cold and turned off with second hand embarrassment. 

Kurt had all but resigned himself to a life of celibacy when he stumbled across tastefulmalenudes.com when looking for discount designer clothing websites. Kurt wasn't quite sure how Google decided those two things were related, but it was exactly what he was looking for. It had men posing in artistically arranged photos, usually in black and white, light streaking across their bodies in an extreme fashion, their faces hid in shadow. His favorite shot had one of the models laying on a bed, white rumpled sheets cradling his body, his arms spread wide, highlighting his biceps and his legs spread invitingly with one knee bent out to the side. His face was tipped away from the camera elongating his gorgeously bitable neck. His body was covered with a sheer black cloth that clung to his lean frame and hard cock in a mouth wateringly enticing manner. 

Kurt had no idea who this man is, but he was the star of all of Kurt's fantasies. He had a slight build with toned but not overly pumped up muscles. A narrow waist led to slim hips and he had that perfectly well-defined muscle between his hips and abs that Kurt just wanted to kiss and lick and bite until it was covered in hickeys and teeth marks. He had a mop of thick, curly hair on his head that Kurt wanted to bury his hands in as the guy went down on him.

Kurt snapped his attention back to his computer as he kept scrolling. Some decent shots had been posted since the last time he checked in, but none of the other guys managed to capture his attention like the mystery man. 

And then there he was.

Kurt's breath caught in his throat as the new picture filled his screen. He was turned in profile, his beautiful figure back-lit by light streaming in through a set of French doors. His dick was erect, sticking straight out from his body making Kurt's mouth water at the thought of dropping to his knees and swallowing him to the root. The muscles in his arms and legs were flexed and shining with some kind of lotion or oil. As usual, his face was turned away from the camera and Kurt couldn't help but be disappointed. He wanted nothing more than to see the face and eyes of this beautiful man. He was just… perfect.

Kurt felt himself growing hard as his thoughts raced. He hastily pulled his t-shirt over his head, letting it fall to the floor and pushed his jeans down to his knees. He licked across his palm before reaching down to pull a few quick strokes over his dick. He stared at the picture harder, committing it to memory before closing his eyes and giving in to the fantasy.

He walked into the room, warmly lit by the sun. He'd just come from the shower and was wearing only a pair of gray sweatpants that were so old the only thing holding them up was sheer force of will. He saw the man standing by the door, gazing out at the gardens. His body was shining with a sheen of sweat and he was hard again, despite the activities that had sent Kurt to the shower in the first place. Kurt's bare feet slapped quietly on the wooden floor and he dropped gracefully to his knees in front of this man. He leaned in, breathing deep, inhaling the scent of his sex and manhood. He ran his hands over the acres of glistening, golden skin and finally settled on his pert ass.

His mouth was watering and he couldn't wait anymore. He leaned in and swallowed this man to the root. There was a faint taste of latex from the condom they had used, but it was soon washed away as Kurt's mouth flooded with spit and precome. The man's hands came to rest in Kurt's hair and they tugged lightly as Kurt licked and sucked like he was a dying man. 

"So good," the man whispered, his voice rough and gravelly with overuse. "Yes, baby. Yes. Right there. Oh, my Kurt. Your mouth is positively sinful. Yes. Yes. So close, baby. So close."

Then, with a sharp tug and a harsh cry, Kurt's mouth was filled with his release. Kurt moaned around him and swallowed every last drop. The man dropped to his knees when Kurt finally pulled back and his mouth was immediately recaptured in a brutal kiss.

"So good, baby," he whispered against Kurt's mouth. "So good to me. Love you so much."

Kurt came with a harsh cry over his fist as the vision cleared. He was once more alone in his room, the picture of the man on his desktop the only link to the wonderful fantasy.

He wanted to cry with how pathetic he was.

* * *

A week later, Kurt was working the morning shift at the café. He had just finished making the last drink of the early rush and was leaning against the counter to try and catch his breath when something caught his eye. He turned to look and what he saw made his stomach drop. The sun was blazing in at a harsh angle from the early morning hour, casting everything in extreme shadow. There was a man sitting there, his hair crowned by a halo of glowing light. His beautiful, thick, curly hair that Kurt would know anywhere. That profile that Kurt had studied religiously was even more gorgeous in person. And his eyes were this amazing golden hue that seemed to sparkle in the sun.

Wait a second. His eyes?

Kurt's eyes widened as he realized he was caught staring. He tried to turn away but he was frozen in terror. Luckily, the guy just stood, winked at Kurt and tossed his cup in the garbage can by the door before heading out.

Once he was gone, Kurt's knees gave out and he slid down to the floor. His pants were probably covered in filth and coffee grounds, but Kurt couldn't find it in himself to care. 

The guy was real.

He was real and apparently living in New York. Kurt's life had just gotten a whole lot more interesting.

* * *

Kurt was exhausted. He ended up having to work a double shift when one his coworkers called in sick. His feet were killing him, his shoulders were sore and his hands hurt from the eight million shots he'd pulled today. He closed the door to his apartment and turned to lean his forehead against it, letting out a deep sigh of pure fatigue.

He startled as someone pressed up behind him, covering Kurt's eyes. For a moment, Kurt considered crying out for help when he got a whiff of a familiar scent as the person leaned in to press a kiss to Kurt's neck. He relaxed in the embrace and tilted his neck to give him easier access.

"Welcome home, honey," he whispered.

"You scared me," Kurt admitted. "I wasn't expecting you today."

"I got off early. I was hoping I could do the same for you," he replied in a wicked tone.

He licked a stripe up Kurt's neck to nibble on his ear, making Kurt's knees go weak with want. He finally turned around, taking a moment to gaze lovingly into those honey colored eyes before crashing their mouths together in a hungry, open mouthed kiss. They stumbled down the hall to Kurt's bedroom, slowly stripping each other, leaving a trail of clothes behind them.

Kurt fell to the bed and was immediately blanketed by a warm body. They clung to each other desperately, reveling in the feeling of skin on skin. Kurt felt them both growing harder as they moved against each other and he knew they wouldn't last. He rocked his hips, pressing up into the body above his, moaning and crying out as the sensations overwhelmed him.

"I can't," he gasped. "Can't wait. More please."

His weight was pressed deeper into the bed as they rutted against each other frantically. It was so good, so perfect. Kurt knew he wouldn't last. A few quick thrusts and he was spilling his release between their bodies.

Kurt jolted awake with the force of his orgasm. His pajama pants were clinging to him uncomfortably and he shivered as the cold air hit his skin. He flopped back down onto his bed, his eyes tearing in frustration. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

* * *

Three days later, Kurt was on the morning shift again and he was anxious to see if the guy came in. His vivid dream from the other night was still haunting him, but he couldn't help hoping for another look. 

He was on the bar, going through the motions of making drinks and calling out names. It was kind of nice, the monotonous rhythm of the early morning rush. Pull the shot, steam the milk, pump of flavor and pass it off.

"Blaine!" Kurt called out.

"Thanks," a voice replied.

Kurt looked up to nod his response and froze. It was him. It was the guy. 

_Oh, holy shit,_ he thought.

The guy, Blaine, was even more gorgeous up close. He was smiling at Kurt, the corners of his eyes crinkling ever so slightly, and he was standing there, waiting for a response. Kurt swallowed around the lump in his throat and forced out a smile.

"No-no problem," he managed to stutter out.

"Have a nice day," Blaine said with a wink and walked out, sliding a pair of bright yellow sunglasses over his eyes.

"You should totally hit that."

Kurt looked over to see Anne staring at him from behind the register.

"What?" Kurt asked, feeling himself growing hot at the suggestion. "Why would I…? No! What? That's just ridiculous."

"He was totally checking you out," she insisted. "If I had any chance, I would be all over that. But I'm pretty sure he doesn't play for my team."

"Whatever," Kurt replied, grabbing a rag and wiping down the counter. "You're crazy."

Anne just raised an eyebrow and was cut off from saying anything by another slew of customers. There was no way Blaine was checking him out. He was probably just staring a little because of how Kurt had stared at him a couple days ago. It didn't mean anything.

Did it?

* * *

Kurt was working the evening shift the next day and he was honestly relieved about the break from Blaine as it seemed he only came to the shop in the mornings. After their brief encounter over Blaine's coffee the day before, Kurt had gone home and had the most intense orgasm ever. Now that he knew Blaine's name and what his voice sounded like, his fantasies had gotten a lot more specific and explicit. 

The faceless man now had a face and a voice, both of which he used to drive Kurt insane. He would whisper sweet nothings in Kurt's ear as his hands danced across Kurt's skin. They rolled around the imaginary king sized bed, plush with the softest linens Kurt could imagine, the room lit with soft candlelight. It was erotic and sexy, but sweet and romantic. It was everything Kurt ever wanted it to be.

Too bad it only existed in his head.

That night, after they were done closing, Kurt found himself being dragged to some bar with Anne and Jason. He'd always resisted their efforts before, so he wasn't sure how they convinced him to go out with them tonight. Or how they managed to get him in the bar considering he wasn't even twenty-one yet.

But, there he was. Sitting on an uncomfortable stool and sipping a strawberry daiquiri. Anne was out on the dance floor with Jason and Kurt was seriously contemplating ducking out once he was done with his drink. It wasn't like they'd miss him anyway.

"Can I buy you another?"

Kurt immediately froze at the sound of that voice. He'd only heard it once, but he would know it anywhere. He slowly turned on his stool and found Blaine standing about six inches away from him. He coughed as he choked on his drink.

"Hi," Blaine said with a grin.

"Hi," Kurt replied.

"I'm Blaine."

"I know," Kurt said and then promptly mentally facepalmed. "I mean, I'm Kurt."

"It's nice to finally properly meet you, Kurt."

Kurt looked down to where Blaine had extended his hand. He knew what he should do, but he couldn't seem to make his body work. He just stared at it dumbly, willing his own hand to reach out and shake it and just… touch him. He took a deep breath and looked back up, locking eyes with Blaine. Something in the calmness he saw in Blaine's face gave him the courage he was looking for and his hand reached out and grasped Blaine's firmly.

"Hi," he said again.

"Hi," Blaine said shaking Kurt's hand.

They stood there for a few moments, smiling dumbly at each other.

"Do we know each other from somewhere?" Blaine asked.

"No! What?" Kurt said in a panic. "No. We don't. Why-why would you think that?"

He laughed nervously and quickly gulped down the last dredges of his drink.

"You just look at me like you know me from somewhere," Blaine explained. "But I can't place you in my mind and I know I would remember you."

Kurt blushed at Blaine's words. This had never happened to him and he wasn't quite sure how to respond. He knew the right thing would be to fess up to Blaine about having seen his pictures on the website, but he was kind of embarrassed about it. He'd seen Blaine naked, in all his glory, and Blaine had no idea who Kurt was in the slightest. This whole situation was just so strange.

Kurt ended up just shaking his head and signaling the bartender for another drink. Blaine also ordered another beer and had paid the bartender before Kurt could even get his wallet out.

"Thanks," Kurt said.

Blaine raised his bottle in response and they toasted. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, just sipping their drinks, but it was oddly not uncomfortable. When Kurt was about half way through his daiquiri, Blaine reached over to pluck the glass from his hand, sat it down on the bar and then took Kurt's hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor.

Kurt had no idea what he was doing. He kind of shuffled side to side for a bit, shimmying his shoulders in a vaguely sexy manner before Blaine moved in closer, resting his hands on Kurt's hips. Kurt's hands fell to Blaine's shoulders to steady himself. He could feel the rum from the drinks starting to kick in. The room seemed to be spinning ever so slightly and he was starting to feel warm. He couldn't help the giggle that escaped his lips. This whole situation was so absurd that Kurt couldn't even believe it was happening.

"What's so funny?" Blaine asked.

"This," Kurt replied before he could stop himself. "That I'm here with you, of all people."

 _Oh, my God, SHUT UP!_ Kurt yelled at his brain.

"Ah ha! So, you do know me," Blaine replied.

"Not really," Kurt admitted. "I mean, I've been fantasizing about you for months ever since I found that website you model for where you're just naked and glistening and delicious. But I don't think I could say that I know you. I mean, I just learned your name a few days ago."

Thankfully, Kurt finally managed to stop rambling and he couldn't believe he told Blaine all that. He really wished the floor would just swallow him up and put him out of his misery.

"So," Blaine said, moving in even closer and pressing the full length of their bodies together. "You know what I look like naked. It seems only fair that you return the favor."

That just stopped Kurt dead in his tracks. He froze on the dance floor, his eyes widening in shock and his feet were moving towards the exit before he even knew what was happening. He was outside and half-way down the block before he heard someone calling his name and feet pounding the pavement as they ran to catch up with him. He knew it was Blaine; there was no one else it could be, so he just kept walking, his head down and his cheeks red with embarrassment.

Blaine skidded to a stop in front of Kurt, reaching out to grab his shoulders to stop himself from falling down and to make sure he had Kurt's attention.

"Hey," he said, breathlessly. "What's going on? You know that was just a joke, right?"

"No!" Kurt exploded, the remnants of the rum making him bolder than he would normally be. "It's not 'just a joke'. I'm a horrible, pathetic loser and there's no way you would actually want anything to do with me once you find out just how big of a loser I really am."

"What? Kurt, what are you talking about?"

"Do you know why I fantasize about you? Why I visit that website? Because the only time I ever leave my apartment was when I go to work. I don't even know how Anne managed to drag me out tonight. I tried going out when I first got here and meeting people, but this city was just so much more than I thought it would be and I'm completely scared out of my mind most of the time. And I don't want some quick fumble in the backroom like most guys do. So, here I am, almost twenty-one and I've never even been kissed. And now if you'll excuse me, I need to get home."

Kurt had no idea if what he just said made any sense, but he needed to get away from Blaine. He moved to side step around him, but Blaine wouldn't let him pass. They do an awkward dance on the sidewalk as Blaine blocked any attempt by Kurt to continue on his way.

"Blaine, please," Kurt begged.

"No," Blaine said. "I'm not letting you get away that easily."

"What do you want from me?" Kurt finally asked.

"Did you know I've been coming to your coffee shop for the last three months?"

Kurt just quirked his head in confusion. That couldn't be right. Kurt would have noticed Blaine before that first time a couple weeks ago if that were true.

"It's true," Blaine continued as if reading Kurt's mind. "I noticed you the first time I ever set foot in there. You just… you never looked up. You were always hiding in the back or staring at the espresso machine so hard I was worried it might break out into flames. You always looked so sad and I wanted to know why and I wanted to try and make everything better. Then one day last month, one of your coworkers said something and you actually laughed. I looked up and the smile on your face made my heart flip. You looked so beautiful in that moment. I vowed that the next time I saw you, I would say something, but it just never seemed to be the right moment. Then you finally saw me and I felt like the luckiest man on Earth. But I had a job and I had to go. So, when you called my name for my drink the other day, I thought that was my chance, but the way you looked at me, you looked so scared, so I left. But I couldn't forget about you. So, when I saw you at the bar, I just had to try."

"Try what?" Kurt asked, his heart pounding so hard he's afraid it might jump out of his chest.

"To just… talk to you. That's all. And when you mentioned those pictures, I just, God," Blaine laughed. "I'm not ashamed of them, but I've never met anyone who knew me because of them. I didn't know what to say and I just said the first thing that popped in my head. But, that's not what I want, Kurt. I mean, it is, but some time way down the line and only if you do, too. Mostly, I just want to get to know you. I want to know why you're here and what happened to make you so sad. I want to be your friend and if one day that turns into something more, then great, but if not, that's fine."

Kurt could only nod in response. He couldn't believe this was happening. The literal man of his dreams wanted to get to know him. How was this his life?

"It's really not that late," Blaine said, smiling softly. "Did you maybe want to go somewhere and talk?"

"Um, I, uh," Kurt hesitated. He did want to go somewhere with Blaine; he really did. But he also just wanted to go home and collapse on his bed. A lot had happened tonight. He blamed his near exhaustion on what happened next. "My apartment is actually just down the block, if you want."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Kurt insisted.

"Then lead the way."

They walked side by side in silence until they reached Kurt's building. He let them in and they climbed the stairs to his fourth floor apartment. Unfortunately, it seemed his roommate was actually home for once as the sound of some action movie blaring from the TV in the living room filled the apartment. Kurt grabbed a couple bottles of water from the fridge and directed Blaine to his bedroom. He turned the radio on low and they sat on his bed. 

Kurt had no idea what to do.

Blaine started talking to fill the silence. He told Kurt of growing up in Ohio, only a couple hours away from Lima. How his dad had cut him off when he came out after high school, but he'd managed to get a full scholarship to NYU, which was where he was studying. He wanted to be a music teacher, showing kids the things they could do with song. He'd started modeling as a way to make some extra spending money since it was easy to fit around his schedule. He told Kurt of the friends he'd made in his classes and that, while he did miss his family and hoped to reconcile one day, he was happy with the life he'd made for himself here.

By the time Blaine was done talking, almost an hour had passed and they'd rearranged themselves so they were lying side by side on the bed. A feeling of peace had settled over the room and Kurt couldn't quite understand how he felt so comfortable with someone he'd just met.

"So," Blaine said softly, reaching out to push some hair off Kurt's forehead. "What's your story?"

Kurt sighed as he tried to figure out what to tell Blaine. In the end, he decided that he might as well just tell Blaine everything, so Blaine will leave him alone and Kurt can go back to his sad, lonely life.

"My mom passed away when I was eight," he started. "Cancer. So, it was just me and my dad for most of my life. Then when I was a junior in high school, he had a heart attack and never really recovered. I ended up withdrawing from everything to take care of him. I quit Glee club, I ignored all my friends. Eventually, they stopped trying to talk to me and all I had was my dad. I graduated from high school and started taking some classes at a local community college because he made me and I didn't want to be more stress for him. Then, almost a year ago, he had another massive heart attack and fell into a coma. He never woke up. So, I had no family left. I had no friends. It was just me. I sat in the house for almost two months before I finally sucked it up, threw some clothes and personal belongings in a couple suitcases, put the house on the market, and drove out here. New York was supposed to be the city of my dreams, but nothing has turned out the way it was supposed to. My dad was supposed to still be here; I was supposed to be starring on Broadway; I was supposed to have this amazing life, and finally meet a boy who loved me and we would be married in the spring and adopt two kids and a dog and I just don't know what happened."

Blaine reached out to brush his fingers over Kurt's cheek and he finally noticed that he started crying at some point. Kurt sat up to put some distance between them.

"So, now you know everything and I understand if you want to leave," he concluded, wiping at his eyes.

"Oh, Kurt," Blaine said, sitting up and putting his arm around Kurt's shoulders. "No. No, I don't want to leave. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but what you did was such an amazing thing. I mean, you could have just given up and stayed in Ohio, but you didn't. You're here. Sure, things haven't worked out like you wanted, but they rarely do. Hell, I never imagined I'd be modeling naked for money, but here we are."

"Yeah, but you at least know what you want to do with your life and are making that happen," Kurt replied. "I'm just… stuck. I sit in this apartment and I go to work and I find companionship in the internet."

"So, we'll get you unstuck."

"It's that easy, huh?"

"It can be," Blaine said with a smile. "If you could do anything, be anything, what would it be?"

"I want to perform," Kurt sighed. "It was really the only time I remember being happy. I want to be back on stage. I want to sing. I want to hear people to cheer and applaud."

"Okay. So, let's make that happen."

"You… You want to help me?"

"Yeah. I told you, I'm not letting you go so easily. And now that I know how amazing you really are, you'll never get rid of me."

"Thank you," Kurt said, throwing his arms around Blaine and hugging him tightly. 

"You're welcome."

They pulled back from the hug, but didn't let go. The air in the room suddenly seemed charged with excitement and possibility. Blaine reached up and cradled Kurt's cheek in his palm.

"I want to kiss you so badly," he said. "Will you let me give you that?"

Kurt sucked in a breath and dropped his gaze to Blaine's lips. Blaine licked them in anticipation and something twisted in Kurt's gut with the action. Blaine leaned in slowly, giving Kurt time to change his mind if he wanted, but he doesn't. He'd waited a lifetime for this and, sure, maybe it wasn't exactly like he thought it would be, after some romantic date, but all things considered, this was a perfectly acceptable situation. 

He closed his eyes in anticipation and gasped slightly as Blaine's lips finally touched his. His hand flexed in mid-air before clasping around Blaine's bicep and holding him close. It was a soft kiss, just a gentle press of Blaine's lips to his, but it made Kurt's heart pound with want and desire. 

"Wow," he said when they finally parted.

"Yeah," Blaine agreed, his voice breathless. 

They sat there, just staring at each other, before Blaine blinked and cleared his throat, looking away. 

"I should probably go," he said.

Kurt started to panic for moment, worried that he had done something wrong, but it must show on his face because Blaine was quick to reassure him.

"Not because I want to," he added. "Just that it's late and it was kind of a long day. But, I would definitely like to see you again. Can I call you tomorrow?"

Kurt agreed and they quickly exchanged numbers before Kurt walked him to the door. His roommate must have gone to bed because the rest of the apartment was quiet. Kurt hesitated at the door, unsure of what to do. Blaine just leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of Kurt's mouth. Kurt smiled shyly when Blaine pulled back.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Blaine said as he opened the door.

"I'm looking forward to it," Kurt said and realized that he really meant it.

"Good night, Kurt."

"Good night, Blaine."

That night, Kurt slept better than he had since arriving in the city. Because, the thing was, he believed Blaine. He knew there was no logical reason he should, and yet he did. He believed it when Blaine said he could do what he wanted. He believed that Blaine would help him, that Blaine _wanted_ to help him.

It seemed Kurt Hummel's life was starting to look up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, Blaine is real and actually a really nice guy. Maybe it's time for Kurt to get over his fears and start living his life in New York City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of what was supposed to just be a super porny one-shot. But then, as usual, the boys didn't behave themselves and so this little 'verse was born. This is the continuation of their story.

The next morning, Kurt awoke slowly, having slept peacefully and without waking for the first time in a long time. He rubbed at his eyes and tried to remember if last night with Blaine really happened or if it was just an extremely vivid dream. He reached for his phone, pulled up his contacts and saw Blaine's name right below Anne's. So, it did really happen. Kurt smiled and touched his lips as he remembered Blaine's kisses. Plural. His eyes caught the time on his phone's display and he ran to the bathroom when he saw how late it was. He had to be at work in twenty minutes.

He took the world's fastest shower, styled his hair as best he can in the time he had left, threw on his uniform and was down the stairs fifteen minutes later. He ran into the shop and punched in just in time. He grabbed an apron and joined Anne out front.

"Good morning, Kurt," she said with an exaggerated leer. 

"Morning, Anne," he replied calmly, completely ignoring the fact that she probably saw him dancing and then leaving with Blaine last night.

"Looks like you had a rough night," she said.

"Not at all," Kurt replied. "Just forgot to set my alarm, so I overslept."

Luckily, he was saved from any more conversation by a sudden rush of customers. By this time, they were a well-oiled machine with Anne taking the orders and Kurt and Jeff making the drinks and getting the pastries.

Kurt looked up, surprised when Jeff called out, "Blaine!" He'd been so busy he hadn't even seen Blaine come in. Blaine caught his eye and motioned that he would waiting at a table. That was fine. Kurt could do this. Blaine had said he wanted to be Kurt's friend, regardless of how much kissing they had done. So, it was fine.

Once there was a break in the rush, Kurt grabbed a dishrag and headed out to the dining room under the guise of wiping down the table and picking up trash. He moved around casually, not at all rushing over to where Blaine was sitting.

"Hi," Kurt said quietly.

"Hi," Blaine said, with a bright smile. "What time do you get off?"

"Um, four?"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes," Kurt said with a laugh.

"Great. If you don't have any plans after that, I would like to come back and pick you up."

"What, um, what did you have in mind?"

"I thought we could go for a walk, and then maybe get some dinner if it gets late enough."

"Would it… would it be a date?"

"It doesn't have to be," Blaine said. "From what you said last night, I got the impression you haven't seen much of this lovely city and I would like to be your first official tour guide, if you'll let me."

"Okay," Kurt said, with a nod.

"Great. I'll see you at four."

Blaine stood, squeezing Kurt's forearm in a comforting gesture before leaving. Kurt plopped down in the chair Blaine had just vacated as he tried to get his breathing under control.

"I told you!"

Kurt started and whipped around to see Anne in the other chair at the table.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kurt insisted.

"Oh, shut up. I saw you two dancing together last night and you totally left with him."

"He's just… He's a friend, I guess, okay?"

"Yeah. But you want to be _more_ than friends, don't you?" she said poking him in the arm. "Come on. You can tell me."

"Oh my God! Okay!" he cried, pulling his arm out of her reach. "Just stop. Well, I mean, yeah, who wouldn't? But, whatever." He just shrugged as he stood and went back to the kitchen.

"What do you mean, 'whatever'? He totally wants to hit that," Anne said, smacking his ass.

"Do you have to be so crude about it?" he replied, swatting her hand away.

This was the problem with New York. Everyone just wanted it quick and dirty. Kurt was convinced that romance was completely dead.

"Excu-use me," she drawled. "You need to lighten up, okay? And I don't just mean get laid, although that would help. But you're wound so tight all the time that if you don't let go even a little bit, this city will snap you. And I like you too much to see you break like that."

"You like me?" Kurt asked.

"Um, yeah? Why do you think I ask you to go out with us all the time?"

"I guess I just thought you felt sorry for me."

"Maybe a little at first," she admitted. "But then you did let some things out, and, well, you're a pretty cool kid, Kurt Hummel."

At that, Kurt had to laugh. "I'm pretty sure I've never been cool a day in my life."

"I guess you'll just have to trust me then when I say you are."

She headed back to the front before Kurt could argue with her. He shook his head and turned around to start loading the dishwasher. People in New York were nuts.

* * *

Soon enough, four o'clock rolled around and Blaine breezed back into the shop. Kurt smiled and motioned that he would be back in a second. He just had to go hang up his apron and punch out and he would be ready to go. He took his time, though, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening.

 _This isn't a date,_ he said to himself. It was just a friend showing him around the city. He could totally do that.

He hurried out front once his mind was set and he saw Blaine waiting by the door, two cups of coffee in hand. He passed one to Kurt and took a sip of the other. Kurt took a taste and was surprised to get a mouthful of his usual mocha.

"I asked what your usual was," Blaine said, as if reading Kurt's mind. "Is it okay?"

"Yeah," Kurt said quickly. "Yes, thank you. You didn't have to do that."

"It's nothing," Blaine said, leading them out the door. "So, is there anything in particular you want to see?"

"Would it be horribly cheesy of me to say Times Square?"

"Not at all! I love it there. All the lights and the people. You can really feel the pulse of the city there."

Blaine steered them to a nearby subway stop and Kurt had to once more confess his ignorance at having never ridden the subway before. But instead of being frustrated with him, Blaine just seemed to get even more excited and talked Kurt through buying the card and making sure it had enough money on it for the return trip.

Blaine kept babbling away about inconsequential things as they rumbled along underneath the city. Kurt sipped his mocha and tried not to make eye contact with anyone.

About fifteen minutes and a handful of stops later, Blaine pulled Kurt to his feet and they pushed their way out of the car and up the stairs. Kurt was concentrating so hard on no getting trampled and the feeling of Blaine's hand in his, that it took Kurt a few moments to notice they were finally back above ground. Once he looked up, though, he just stopped dead in his tracks. It was… beautiful.

Kurt let himself be pulled along and out of the way as he kept looking around. Blaine had been right; it was so alive here. The lights, the people, the sounds, the smells. It should have been overwhelming, but just the fact that Blaine was with him made everything okay.

"This is…" Kurt said. Overwhelming, amazing, brilliant, _big_.

"I know, right?" Blaine said, smiling brilliantly at Kurt. "Come on."

Blaine tugged Kurt's hand and dragged them all over Times Square – the stores, the lights, the marquees, they saw it all. Blaine even dragged him through the giant Hershey's store where he bought so much candy, Kurt almost went into a sugar coma just looking at it.

"For late night cram sessions," Blaine explained.

After they were done there, they walked a few blocks away to the Stardust Diner. It was a throwback to the 1950s complete with singing wait staff.

"This is amazing, Blaine," Kurt said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Blaine replied. "I'm glad you decided to come out with me."

"So am I."

After the waitress took their order, they settled back and just talked about anything and everything. Somehow, the topic of Blaine's modeling came up and Kurt couldn't help asking.

"How did you get started with that?" Kurt asked. "I'm sorry. That was… You don't have to tell me."

"No. No it's fine. It's one of those friend of a friend who knows a guy stories that pretty much only happen in movies and not in real life," Blaine said with a laugh. "My roommate is an art major and last semester he had a photography class. One of their assignments was a nude portrait and he asked if I wanted to be his model. Having gone to Dalton, you very quickly get used to being around other people in every state of undress all the time, so I was very comfortable with my body, so I agreed. Then his teacher really liked it, I guess and gave him a card for a friend of his who does the photography for that site to pass on to me. So, I talked to the guy and here we are."

"Isn't it weird, though, being naked like that in front of other people?"

"Not for me," Blaine shrugged. "I know how the pictures are going to be used and the whole crew and all the other models are really nice. It's a good atmosphere, really."

"The other models?"

"Oh yeah. Whenever there's a shoot, everyone is there. It's really busy and fun. There's food and music and everyone teasing each other."

"That sounds interesting."

"Yeah. It was a little overwhelming at first, but you get used to it."

Kurt was cut-off from replying by the arrival of their food. He had a hard enough time looking at his own naked body in the mirror that he couldn't even imagine being naked in front of that many people.

Luckily, Blaine steered the conversation back to more neutral topics as they ate – his classes and friends, the clubs he was a part of. A small part of Kurt was feeling a little jealous that Blaine seemed to fit in so easily. It should have been him, but he was too much of a coward to do anything.

"Have you given any thought to going back to school?" Blaine asked.

"I, um," Kurt said, pausing with his fork hovering in mid-air. When he first go to New York, of course he'd been obsessed with his dreams of grandeur and college had occasionally featured in them, but it had been so long that he had just given up.

"Um, maybe?" Kurt said, eventually.

"I was just wondering if maybe on your next day off, you might like to come see NYU? You can come to my classes with me, meet some of the teachers. What do you think?"

"Can I get back to you on that?" This was the most he'd been out in months. He wasn't sure he was quite ready for a day at college.

"Yeah, sure. Of course."

"Okay. Thanks."

"No problem. You ready to go?" Blaine asked.

Kurt nodded and wiped his mouth one last time. Blaine waved off his attempts to contribute to the bill.

"I asked you to come out with me, so this is my treat," he said. "You can get the next one."

Kurt nodded and smiled to himself at the possibility of there being a next time.

The two boys were silent as they made their way back to the subway, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Blaine was still holding Kurt's hand firmly, but loosely. Hand holding seemed like a very date thing to do, even though Blaine had said that was up to him. Not that he minded, quite the opposite, in fact. The only thing that still had Kurt worried was why Blaine was doing this. On one hand, Blaine did seem genuinely interested in him. On the other, Kurt didn't really have the best track record when it came to guys. Well, it was more like no track record. So, part of Kurt couldn't help but worry that Blaine just felt sorry for him.

Soon enough, they were back at Kurt's stop and they headed down the block to Kurt's building.

"So," Kurt said, twirling his keys in the palm of his hand.

"Did you have a good time?" Blaine asked.

"I, yeah," Kurt said. "I had a really good time on our _date_."

"So, this was a date then?"

"Well, you did pay for dinner," Kurt teased.

"I see how it is," Blaine said. "You only like me for the food I can buy you."

"You caught me," Kurt said with a laugh.

"So, if this was our first date, is there going to be a second?"

"I think I would like that a lot."

"Good. I would, too."

Kurt stood there, smiling dumbly at Blaine and noticed when Blaine's gaze dropped to his lips. He sucked in a breath and his heart started pounding with what he knew was coming. Blaine leaned in, his eyes falling closed and, at the last minute, Kurt turned his head slightly so Blaine's lips connected with his cheek instead of his lips. When Blaine pulled back, Kurt couldn't help notice the slight disappointment on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry. I just-"

"No, it's fine," Blaine interrupted. "Really. I'll never pressure you into doing anything you're not ready for."

"Thank you," Kurt said. "You're really kind of wonderful, you know?"

"Oh, pfft," Blaine said, blushing.

It was so adorable; Kurt couldn't help but lean in and press a gentle kiss to Blaine's cheek. The smile on Blaine's face as Kurt pulled back was totally worth it. Blaine was turning out to be exactly the kind of guy Kurt had always hoped for, but never thought he'd actually get.

"I'll call you tomorrow," Kurt said.

"I'll be waiting."

Kurt turned to walk up the stairs to his building. Once he had the door open, he turned around and saw Blaine still standing where Kurt had left him. Kurt waved and couldn't help laughing at the dorky wave Blaine gave him in return. He slowly headed inside and up the stairs to his apartment. He went straight to his room and fell down on his bed, burying his face in his pillow and letting out a squeal of happiness.

Eventually, he rolled over and grabbed his phone. His good mood fell immediately as he realized he had no one to call to share the good news with.

Maybe it was time for the new and improved Kurt Hummel to finally meet New York.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt has finally decided it's time to take New York by storm. With a few surprises along the way, it seems like Kurt might finally be on his way.

Once upon a time, Kurt Hummel was known as the most fashionable boy in Lima, OH to all his friends. They may not have always understood his clothing choices, but it was just as much a part of his personality as his remarkable voice. Since moving to New York, though, Kurt's wardrobe had hung as forgotten as his voice while he lived in his work uniform of polo shirts and khakis or pajamas and rarely even talked, let alone sang.

The day after his date with Blaine, Kurt was scheduled off from work and he decided the first thing he was going to do was sort through what he had. If he was going to finally take New York by storm, he had to look the part. He pulled open his closet and smiled as he pushed the boring polo shirts out of the way and finally let himself remember what it had felt like to wear his old garments. It was time to remember the boy he used to be if he wanted to figure out what kind of man he wanted to become.

He started pulling out his favorite items and arranging them on the bed in outfits. This shirt with those pants and that sweater with these jeans. Boots and scarves and ties were strewn everywhere as the old Kurt Hummel returned in force.

He started trying things on, glad to see that everything still fit. Mostly. Some of his short-sleeved shirts had become a little tight around his biceps, he was pleased to note. He may have become something of a recluse, but that didn't mean he had forgone his yoga and eating habits.

Once he had an outfit selected, he showered and took great care in styling his hair the way he used to. It was swept back off his forehead, lifted high and held in place with enough hairspray to start his own hole in the ozone layer. He dressed quickly, but carefully, in a pair of skinny, dark blue jeans, a white short-sleeved button down shirt, slim black tie, and a gray tweed vest. He completed his outfit with his favorite black Doc Marten boots, grabbed his satchel, and was out the door before he could change his mind. He had no real destination in mind, but figured the four or five blocks around his apartment were safe enough.

He paused when he reached the sidewalk. Waiting for what, he wasn't sure. But the ground didn't open up to swallow him whole, so he figured everything was fine. The coffee shop was to his right, so he turned left and started walking.

The first couple blocks were all apartment buildings with the odd convenience store on a corner. He picked a block at random and turned down it, curious as to what he would find. Luck must have been on his side because the street seemed to be filled with small shops and eateries. There was a deli across the street and a bakery a few doors down from that. He paused in front of one window display for a resale shop and admired the quality of garments on display. They weren't just old, used clothes. These were true vintage treasures; one shirt even looked like it might be an old Chanel. Curiosity finally got the better of him and he decided to take a look inside.

A bell over the door dinged lightly to announce his arrival and a voice called out: "Be right with you!" from somewhere near the back.

Kurt wandered over to the men's section and started idly flipping through the racks. There were some decent pieces and good labels, but nothing that really jumped out at him.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?"

Kurt looked up at the sound of the voice and froze when he saw who it was.

"Kurt?" she said.

"Tina?" he replied.

"Oh my God. Kurt!" she exclaimed before throwing herself at him. He had to react quickly and soon had an armful of his old friend. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she finally pulled away.

"I, um, I live just a couple blocks away," he said.

"Are you… are you going to school here or…? I just… I can't believe it's really you. You just disappeared on us and no one knew what happened. But, you're here, huh?"

Kurt just shook his head and looked away. He knew what he had done to his friends wasn't right, but somehow Tina didn't seem mad. How was he supposed to respond to that?

"So, what happened?" she asked. "Is… is your dad okay?"

"No," Kurt said, shaking his head again. "No, he, uh, he passed away last year."

"Oh, Kurt," she said. "I'm so sorry."

"So, what about you?" he asked, quickly changing the subject. "Are you going to school?"

"I got in to Tisch," she said.

"Wow! That's great," he said.

"Thanks. It's a lot of hard work, but I'm enjoying it, learning a lot."

"That's fantastic. I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks." Tina paused, like she wanted to say something before just smiling and continuing. "So, um, were you looking for anything or just browsing?"

"Just browsing, really," Kurt said. "I was out for a walk and the window display grabbed my attention."

"Okay," she said. "Well, let me know if there's anything I can help you with."

Kurt smiled and nodded as she walked away, sighing gratefully at the bell that signaled another customer. He browsed for a few more minutes to be polite, but made a beeline for the door as soon as he could. He caught Tina's eye on the way out and offered a small smile. Tina smiled back and Kurt felt his chest unclench a bit.

He paused on the sidewalk and took a deep breath. He hated to admit it, but that brief encounter had left him quite shaken. He really shouldn't have been surprised, he supposed. If he thought about it, Rachel was probably wandering the city somewhere, dreaming of her name in lights. Had Finn followed her? He was pretty sure they were still together by the time graduation had rolled around. Were Mercedes or Santana here? Kurt doubted it; they had always struck him as more the L.A type. He wondered if he would run into anyone else now that was starting to venture out into the city.

He was soon back at his apartment and his thoughts turned to Blaine. Tina talking about Tisch had made him start thinking about college again. Blaine had mentioned Kurt possibly visiting him at NYU and seeing the campus. Kurt had to admit, the prospect had him intrigued.

He made a quick sandwich before returning to his room and starting up his laptop. He searched for NYU and started perusing their website. The area on Student Life looked promising, lots of clubs and programs with support for new students. He clicked over to the listing of available majors and his mood fell a bit. There was nothing there that really grabbed his interest. There was a music major, but it seemed geared toward people that wanted to be professional concert musicians, and not really anything to do with musical theater. In fact, NYU didn't seem to have any sort of performing arts majors. But, Tisch was actually part of NYU, wasn't it? Kurt quickly pulled up the site for Tisch and it all made sense. Tisch was indeed part of the NYU system. He closed the tab for NYU and looked more closely at what Tisch had to offer.

What he found there definitely piqued his interest much more than what NYU had to offer. There was a wide variety of concentrations available – acting, dance, design, even concentrations specifically geared towards film and television. Kurt knew he had told Blaine that he wanted to perform, but that had always been his knee-jerk, go-to answer whenever anyone asked him that question. Yes, he loved performing, but he had started thinking that maybe his true passion was behind the scenes.

When he was still in Ohio and taking classes at the community college, he had become involved in their theater department helping design costumes and even sets for one production. He loved the stage, but his heart just hadn't been in performing. But even being involved in that small capacity had been a welcome distraction from the hardship at home and he had been surprised to find how much he had loved helping out behind the scenes to make everything come together. Maybe he could continue pursuing that? He requested an information packet before he could talk himself out of it and then did some more searching.

Parsons he knew well from his years of Project Runway obsession. To be admitted into such a prestigious school would certainly be impressive. However, after poking around their website for a bit, it seemed their programs were much more geared toward traditional fashion design. Which, while something that could be useful, would he get a wide enough education to be able to work on any genre of theater? He really wasn't sure. But, it couldn't hurt to have all the information he could, so he once more requested a new student packet.

He had just hit send on his final request when his phone buzzed with a new text message.

 _Hey. :-)_ , it said.

Blaine. Kurt smiled to himself, glad Blaine was still keeping up contact.

 _Hey._ , Kurt sent back.

_Whatcha doin'?_

_Looking at colleges_

Kurt laughed as his phone rang two seconds later with an in-coming call.

"Hi, Blaine," Kurt answered.

"You're looking at colleges?" Blaine replied, the smile evident in his voice.

"Why, I'm doing well, Blaine. Thanks for asking. How are you today?" Kurt teased.

"Sorry," Blaine said. "Yes, hello, Kurt. It's lovely to hear your voice. Glad to hear you're doing well. I'm doing fine, too. Now, what's this I hear about you looking at schools?"

"I'm thinking about it," Kurt said. "What you said the other night about getting me unstuck really got me thinking. And, um, today, I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood and I ended up running into an old high school friend and it just got me thinking about all of them and what they might be up to. So, here we are."

"That's fantastic, Kurt, really," Blaine said. "Are there any in particular you're looking at?"

"Um, Tisch and Parsons for right now."

"Parsons? Really? They don't have anything to do with performing, do they?" Blaine asked sounding confused.

"No, I just… I don't think I want to study performing arts, like I told you. At least, not anything that would have me on stage. It's a long story, but, I actually think I might like to get into costume or set design."

He told Blaine a bit about his time back in Ohio and how the theater had still been his means of escape, even if he wasn't the one out in the spotlight.

"I think that sounds great," Blaine said. "Did you want to maybe come visit me at NYU? I know we don't really have anything like what you're interested in studying, but it could maybe help you get a feel for life in college."

"I, yeah, I think I would. Maybe next week?"

"Sure! What day would work best for you?"

"Well, I work in the morning on Tuesday, so I could be there just after lunch. Or I'm off all day Wednesday."

"Why don't we do Wednesday? My first class is at 10:30, if you think you can be here for that. Then you can spend the day hanging out and I can introduce you to some of my friends."

"That sounds great," Kurt agreed.

"Great," Blaine said. "I'll send you an email with details about where and when we can meet."

"Okay," Kurt agreed. He would have to take the subway by himself, but he could totally do that.

"Great. So, I'll see you next week?" Blaine asked, hesitantly.

"Not until next week?" Kurt asked. "What about that second date we were going to have?"

"Well, um, did you have something in mind?"

"It has been awhile since I've been to the movies. Do you have any plans for Saturday night?"

"I do now," Blaine answered.

"Good," Kurt said, glad that Blaine couldn't see him with how hard he had to be blushing. "I, uh, I work until 6:00, but we could do dinner and a movie after that?"

He kind of couldn't believe how quickly things were changing for him. Just last week he was still a quiet nobody working at a coffee shop. Now, he was thinking of going back to school and he maybe had a boyfriend. Life was certainly looking up for Kurt Hummel.

* * *

Kurt and Blaine's date Saturday night was a complete success. They saw the new Ewan McGregor movie and then sat in a nearby diner talking for hours about anything and everything.

"So, what classes do you have on Wednesday?" Kurt asked, dipping a French fry in his chocolate shake.

"My first class is creative writing," Blaine said. "I like it a lot more than I thought I would. The teacher is pretty awesome and he sometimes lets me turn in song lyrics for an assignment. Then after lunch is music theory, which has an equal chance of being really awesome or really boring, depending on what mood the teacher is in. Then we'll finish the day with a class on gender and media."

"That sounds interesting," Kurt said.

"It is," Blaine agreed. "I picked it up for a gen ed requirement, but I'm really learning a lot more than I thought I would. After that, we can do dinner and I have a Song Writer's Club meeting in the evening, if you want to come along to that.

Kurt hummed in response as he took a sip of his shake. College was definitely going to be an entirely new experience in every way.

* * *

The next few days passed quickly for Kurt. He went to work, tried to be friendlier with Anne and Jeff, and talked to Blaine every night. It was really nice. It was so much closer to what he imagined life in New York would be, but he knew there was still something missing.

Wednesday morning, Kurt woke early so he would have plenty of time to get ready. Blaine had only seen him in his work uniform, even on the couple of dates they had been on, and, for some reason, Kurt wanted him to be impressed with how he looked. Blaine always seemed to take such care in his own wardrobe and he wanted to Blaine to see the new and improved Kurt Hummel.

After styling his hair carefully, Kurt closely perused the contents of his closet. He was going to be spending most of the day walking around or sitting in classrooms, so he wanted to be comfortable, yet stylish. He settled on a favorite pair of jeans that were artfully distressed and not too tight, but still showed off his best assets, a white henley and gray vest topped with a red pocket square and his scissors brooch. He slipped his feet into his favorite white Doc Marten's and then there was nothing left to do. He grabbed his bag with everything he would need for the day before triple checking the subway map he had picked up a few days ago and the directions Blaine had sent him for once he reached the campus. He didn't want to get lost, but more importantly, he didn't want to look like a tourist. He had been here long enough that it was time he started acting like he actually lived here.

Once he was sure he had it down, he made his way to the station a few blocks away. He bought his ticket like last time, making sure there was enough money for the return trip, before casually making his way to the platform, double checking that the train was headed in the right direction. He didn't have long to wait as a train soon roared into the station. He pushed his way through the sea of bodies, wincing slightly as he was jostled about. He clung tightly to the strap of his messenger bag and made it on board just as the doors closed. He grabbed one of the metal polls, desperately _not_ thinking of how many other people had touched it before him and held on as the train made its way toward NYU.

He checked his watch as the train moved on and was pleased to see he should be right on time to meet Blaine. The closer the train got to his destination, the more nervous he became. This was a huge step he was taking and part of him felt like it was too much, too soon. He'd isolated himself for so long, would the rush of a college campus be overwhelming? He swallowed against the lump that was forming in his throat and willed himself to relax. He could do this. Blaine would be with him and that always made everything better.

The train finally arrived at the station and Kurt pushed his way up to the street. He rounded a corner, heading toward the coffee shop where he was supposed to meet Blaine, and a smile broke out on his face when he saw Blaine already waiting for him. Blaine returned the smile as soon as his gazed landed on Kurt, his eyes slowly moving up and down to take in Kurt's outfit. Kurt internally preened a little at the positive reaction. He pushed off from the wall he was leaning against and met Kurt half-way. He leaned in and greeted Kurt with a kiss on the cheek. Kurt blushed and looked around, but no one seemed to notice or care.

"Hi," Kurt said in return.

"Hi," Blaine replied. "You look great. Um, do you want some coffee? We have a few minutes before we should be going."

"Coffee sounds great."

Blaine took Kurt's hand and led them into the coffee shop. Kurt took a moment to admire Blaine's outfit and was pleased to note that he still took the same care with his appearance even with a day full of classrooms ahead of them as he did on their dates. From his slicked back hair to the trendy boat shoes on his feet, Blaine looked like he'd just stepped off the silver screen in the 1950s. He was wearing a pair of blue brushed twill pants, rolled up to show his ankles; a madras plaid shirt in tones of red and blue, topped with a white and light gray striped sweater vest trimmed with red. A stylish leather messenger bag was slung over his shoulder. On anyone else, Kurt included, the outfit would look ridiculous, but it was so very Blaine that it was just perfect.

Kurt finally zoned back in and realized Blaine had actually been speaking the whole time they had been standing in line.

"So, yeah," Blaine said. "There should be lots of good discussions today, but don't feel pressured to participate at all, since you're not actually a student."

"Right, thanks," Kurt replied. Okay, so nothing too important had been said.

They were next in line and Blaine ordered a medium drip before turning to Kurt and prompting him to give his own order. Blaine had taken out his wallet and paid before Kurt even had his bag open.

"Thank you," Kurt said.

"One of the best perks of having a boyfriend," Blaine said with a shrug.

Boyfriends?

"Boyfriends?" Kurt asked.

"Oh," Blaine said, blushing and scratching at the back of his neck. "I mean, I know we just started dating… But it doesn't have to be official or anything –"

"Blaine," Kurt interrupted, laying a hand on his forearm. "I would love to be your boyfriend."

"Oh. Okay. Great," Blaine said. "Saves me a bit of a headache later with trying to figure out how to introduce you."

Kurt smiled shyly. He had a boyfriend. _A boyfriend!_ This was great.

After they got their coffee, the walk to Blaine's first class was quick. The weather was finally warming up and a gentle breeze was blowing through the campus. They reached the class with five minutes to spare and took seats near the front, Blaine's usual spot. They finished their coffee as Blaine pulled his things from his bag – a well used notebook, a text book, and a sheaf of papers that was no doubt his assignment.

"Good morning, class."

Kurt turned toward the door as the professor walked in and the students greeted him in return. He looked to be in his forties, a full head of light brown hair that was graying at the temples, tan corduroy pants, and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was every inch the college professor stereotype and Kurt couldn't help smiling at the picture he made.

"So, today, your free writing assignments are due. Which means your writing should be _done_ , Mr. Parker."

The whole class turned as one to the back of the room where a boy Kurt assumed was Mr. Parker was scribbling furiously. He looked up sheepishly before dramatically clicking his pen closed and smiling.

"Done, Mr. B," he said. "I promise."

"Good," Mr. B said as the class laughed. "Would anyone like to share what they've written?"

The first half hour of the class was spent listening to the other students' writings and critiquing it. There were a few poems, some short stories, and a couple essays. The criticisms given were always helpful and constructive not just mean judgments.

"Are you going to share?" Kurt asked Blaine.

"No, not today," he said with a small smile.

That immediately had Kurt curious as to what he had written. He hoped that if it was important enough that Blaine might share it with him one day.

Once the sharing was done, the professor started going over the next chapter they were to read and the homework that would be due next week. He appeared to be a good teacher. The whole class was engaged, even if everyone didn't participate. And he didn't just recite information from the book; he expanded on it, gave examples and asked interesting questions to help nurture a true discussion. Kurt was so caught up in it, he almost raised his hand once to contribute something before remembering he wasn't actually a student and no one would care what he had to say. Blaine looked over and quirked an eyebrow as Kurt slumped back in his seat. He just shook his head and turned back to the front.

Class ended not long after that. Blaine handed in his assignment and led Kurt to the cafeteria for lunch.

"The food is usually pretty good," Blaine said. "Except the tacos. Stay away from the tacos."

Kurt laughed. "No tacos. Got it."

"My roommates and some of my other friends should be here. They're all very excited to meet you."

"You told your friends about me?"

"Of course," Blaine said, shrugging like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Kurt didn't really know what to say, so he just followed Blaine through the cafeteria, checking out the available options. The pasta looked pretty decent with some garlic bread and a small salad. They paid for their meals and Kurt followed Blaine to a table by a set of large windows overlooking the campus where they were welcomed by what seemed to be all of Blaine's friends and half the student body. There were at least fifteen people there and Kurt had no idea how he was going to try and remember them all. Jeff was easy; he was one of Blaine's roommates, the art major one, and had a shock of floppy, white blond hair that Kurt knew could not be natural. Kurt watched as Blaine frowned, looking around the table.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked.

"My other roommate," Blaine said. "He's not here yet and I really wanted you guys to meet. He's really my best friend and I just want you two to get along. I mean, he's almost always late for everything, so I don't know why I'm worrying so much."

Kurt laughed at Blaine's rambling. Whoever this guy was must be pretty important if Blaine was getting this worked up about it.

"Oh, there he is," Blaine said, standing and waving to someone.

Kurt turned to see who was coming over and he just about dropped his fork when he saw who it was. The Mohawk may have been gone, but there was no mistaking that swagger.

"There you are," Blaine said, greeting him with a hug. "This is Kurt. Kurt this is—"

"Noah?" Kurt said, cutting off Blaine.

"Hey, Hummel," Noah said. "Long time no see."

"Yeah," Kurt agreed, his head spinning.

"Wait. You two know each other?" Blaine said.

"Yeah," Noah replied. "We went to McKinley together. Were in glee club and everything until, well, whatever."

"What a small world," Blaine said. "Well, this is great! Now I don't have to worry about whether you two will get along or not.

"Yeah," Kurt said, forcing out a laugh to try and keep the mood light.

The three sat down and Kurt kind of just stared at Noah for awhile. Of all the people to run into here, he was honestly the last person Kurt would have expected. And for him to be Blaine's best friend? He said as much to Noah.

"Yeah," he agreed. "It's kind of a long story, but after graduation I just kind of drifted for awhile and found myself in the city. Eventually, I decided to get myself together, took some classes at a junior college out in Brooklyn and transferred here last year. Blaine and I met the first day of one of the introductory music classes and the rest, as they say, is history."

"That's really great," Kurt said. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. So, you're, uh, knocking boots with Anderson, here?"

"Puck!" Blaine exclaimed as Kurt choked on a piece of lettuce.

"What? I'm just curious as to what his intentions are. You're my boy, Blaine, and I gotta make sure he ain't gonna break your heart or some shit like that."

Kurt kind of stared at Noah for a minute, trying to figure out how exactly to respond to that. Blaine just shrugged as if to apologize. They'd been on, what? Two dates? Only known each other for a couple weeks, really. What do you say to that?

"Well," Kurt said, eventually. "We're dating and I like him a lot and that's pretty much where we are."

"Cool," Noah said. "You know I like you, Hummel, but you break his heart and I might just have to break your knees. Same goes for you, Anderson. Kurt here was my boy in Ohio and no one hurts my boy, you got it?"

"Got it," Blaine said, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

Kurt just smiled at Noah who smiled and winked in return. It was kind of nice to know that there was someone else around who had his back if he needed it.

Lunch went smoothly from there with everyone regaling Kurt with embarrassing stories about Blaine's freshman year. Kurt spent most of lunch with his shoulders shaking in laughter.

"Now, come on," Blaine said, after a story Jeff finished telling about Blaine's first college party. "That's not fair. Alcohol makes everyone do crazy things."

"I just think Kurt needs to know what he's getting himself into," Jeff explained.

"Fine," Blaine said. "Kurt, don't listen to a word they say. They're all filthy liars."

"Hey!" everyone yelled in protest.

"And that's our cue," Blaine said. "Sorry, guys. Gotta get to class."

Kurt took one last bite of his pasta and packed up his things to follow Blaine.

"It was nice to meet you all," Kurt said as he waved goodbye.

"Hold up," Noah called. "I'm heading the same way. I'll walk with you guys."

The three guys dropped their trays off and made their way back out onto campus.

"Puck," Blaine said. "Your class is on the other side of campus."

"I know," he said. "I just wanted a minute with Kurt."

Kurt quirked his head in interest.

"Listen, Tina emailed everyone after you ran into her the other day. I don't think she intended to break your trust or anything, but she mentioned what happened to your dad and I just wanted to say… Shit, I don't know. Sorry seems inadequate. I guess I just wish we could do all that differently, you know. We were all so worried about you, but we didn't really know what to do, so we did nothing. For that, I'm sorry.

Damn it. Noah Puckerman was not going to make him cry. "Thank you, Noah," he said, quietly.

"Do you think we could trade numbers? Maybe get together for coffee and really catch up?"

"Yeah," Kurt said. "I think I'd like that."

The two traded numbers before Puck headed off in one direction and Kurt and Blaine went the other.

"So, looks like you might have more friends in New York than you thought," Blaine said.

"Looks like it."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt has reconnected with some old high school friends and life is good. But there are more surprises in store as Kurt continues to try and figure out who he is in this new world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks ever to Kerry for the beta!
> 
> Well, this is it. We've reached the end. Thank you to everyone who has commented and encouraged this story along the way. For what was supposed to just be a smutty one-off, this story is now 22,000+ words. That's crazy! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this final part in the journey. Thank you!

It was just over a month later and Kurt couldn't believe how different his life had become. He had _friends_. Sure, those friends were Puck and Tina and a couple of Blaine's friends he had taken a liking to, but he still counted it in the plus column. It had been so long since he'd had people he could call friends that it was a little overwhelming. Suddenly, people were calling him and dropping by the coffee shop to visit. It was so strange.

And Blaine…. Blaine was absolutely wonderful. They managed to get together a couple times a week for lunch or dinner in addition to talking on the phone every day. Sometimes a couple times a day. Most weekends they managed to take in a movie or even just curl up on one of their couches and watch an old favorite. Blaine didn't even seem to mind the glacial pace at which Kurt was guiding their physical relationship.

One Thursday afternoon, Kurt was getting ready to head home after his shift when his phone buzzed with a new text. He finished making the last drink that was waiting before ducking in the back to clock out and answer it.

_Hey,_ the message from Puck said.

_Hey,_ Kurt replied.

_You got any plans tonight?_

_Not really,_ Kurt answered. He'd been planning to review some of the college application forms he'd recently received, but they could wait. He had tomorrow morning off.

_Cool. Come meet us for dinner. Stand 4. 7:00._

_Okay. See you then._

* * *

Kurt stopped dead in his tracks as he walked into the diner later that evening. He had expected Puck and Blaine and maybe some of their friends from NYU. What he hadn't expected was that Tina, Rachel, Finn, and Mercedes would be there, too. Obviously, he'd had no idea most of them were even in New York, but they were and now they were here. He almost turned around and just left, but Puck spotted him and it was too late. Everyone turned and followed Puck's gaze. Rachel looked like she was about to vault over the table and run over and do something embarrassing, but Finn stopped her with a hand on her arm.

Kurt took a deep breath and started making his way toward their table. Blaine met him half-way there and pulled him into a hug.

"This was Puck's idea," he whispered. "If it's too much, we can just go. They do seem to have genuinely missed you, though, if you want to catch up with them."

Kurt nodded as Blaine pulled back from the hug. He could do this. These people were his closest friends once, maybe they could be again. He walked to the table, grasping Blaine's hand, taking strength from his boyfriend's presence.

He greeted Tina and Puck warmly before turning warily to the other three. Rachel was clutching desperately to Finn, as if trying to reign herself in from exploding. Finn was kind of smiling at him, but most of his attention seemed to be stuck on Rachel. Mercedes looked… confused. A thousand expressions seemed to fly across her face in the space of the silence – happiness, worry, sadness. She was finally the one to break the trance they were all stuck in.

"I missed you, boo," she said as she pulled Kurt in for a hug.

He hadn't really realized it until that moment, but he had missed her, too.

Soon enough, everyone was laughing and hugging and the wait staff were starting to look at them a little strangely.

They spent the meal catching up with what everyone was doing these days. Finn, surprisingly, was studying to become a teacher.

"I think kindergarten," he said. "I worked at this summer camp after we graduated and the kids really took to me. And, well, they can actually be kind of awesome once you get to know them."

"That's great," Kurt said. "I think you'll be an amazing teacher."

Rachel was all too eager to tell him about her time at NYADA. Kurt was genuinely happy for her and her accomplishments, but, it seemed, some things never really changed.

"Of course now that I'm finally an upper classman, there really is no excuse for me to not be the lead in every show," she said. "I have been invited to perform in the Winter Showcase every year; I don't know why they ever think they can find someone better than me. The auditions are really just a waste of everyone's time."

Kurt just smiled and nodded as she rambled on before Mercedes was finally able to jump in and steer the topic of conversation elsewhere.

It turns out that Mercedes was actually at Tisch with Tina.

"It's been great," Mercedes said. "We're actually working on a musical that I'm hoping we can put on next year for my senior project."

"That's amazing," Kurt said. "What's it about?"

"Um, I guess you could call it a coming of age piece," Mercedes said exchanging a look with Tina who quickly nodded in agreement.

"What?" Kurt asked, feeling like he was missing something.

"It's nothing bad," Tina said. "It's just sort of based on some of the stuff that happened at McKinley."

"Between all of us," Mercedes added.

"So, there's stuff about me in it?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah," Tina said. "We just… We still feel awful about what happened and I guess this was our way of trying to make things right since we didn't really think we'd ever see you again."

"We're so sorry, Kurt," Mercedes said. "You were our friend and we should have tried harder to be there for you."

"I know it's probably too little, too late," Rachel said, "but New Directions really suffered after the loss of your voice. We never made it passed Regionals, as you probably heard."

"Thank you, guys," Kurt replied. "That does mean a lot. And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have just cut you all out of my life like that."

Kurt looked over at Blaine who had squeezed his hand in support. He was so grateful for Blaine right now.

"So, friends?" Rachel asked.

"Friends," Kurt agreed.

The whole table cheered and there were awkward hugs, high fives, and a few tears. Through it all was Blaine, a silent comfort and strength by his side.

* * *

The day after the impromptu reunion, Kurt woke early and grabbed all the college applications he had received – Parsons, Tisch, and, a last minute addition, FIT. He filled in all the necessary information before reading through the portfolio requirements. They would all need a variety of samples and letters of recommendation and, since he was technically a transfer student, his transcript from Lima Community College. He had figured he would need the letter and transcripts once he'd started looking at different colleges, so he had emailed a couple of his professors, including his supervisor in the theater department, a couple weeks ago. They had been very eager and happy to provide Kurt with the letters he needed and he had received them earlier this week. His transcripts were in the mail, according to LCC, so all that was left was to sort through his sketches to find the best of the best.

This was going to take awhile…

* * *

"What are you doing on Sunday?" Blaine asked.

It had been just over a month since Kurt was reunited with his old friends and things had been going great. He'd reconnected with them all in very positive ways and regularly saw them for dinner dates or movie outings. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for them to drop by the coffee shop several times a week. It felt like his life was really starting to be what he had always imagined.

And Blaine… Wonderful Blaine. Things with Blaine were amazing and beyond anything he could have hoped for. He'd finally felt comfortable enough with Blaine, and himself, to start pushing their physical relationship bit by bit. He was still nowhere near ready for full on sex, but the little things were getting easier.

Like right now. They were both shirtless on Kurt's bed, relaxing after a _very_ enthusiastic make-out session that had ended with them coming in their pants like a couple of high schoolers.

"Um, nothing," Kurt replied. "I'm off from work, so I was just going to work on putting the finishing touches on my college applications."

"Well, I'm going to be doing another photo shoot and I was wondering if you maybe wanted to come watch?"

"Really? That would be okay?"

"Yeah," Blaine said. "A lot of the other guys bring their girlfriend or boyfriend. As long as you don't get in the way or anything, it'll be fine."

"Um, can I think about it?" Kurt said hesitantly.

As much as Kurt wanted to just jump up and shout, "Yes!", wasn't it a little soon for that? Sure, he had seen Blaine nude in the pictures, but there was something different about seeing it in person and he just wasn't sure if he was ready for that.

"Oh, absolutely," Blaine said. "We'll need to leave about eight that morning to get there, so just let me know by the night before?"

"I can do that," Kurt said.

"Now," Blaine said, leaning over to kiss Kurt, "As much as I hate to do this, I really need to be going."

"No," Kurt whined, pulling Blaine back to him and stealing another kiss.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Blaine said standing and pulling his shirt back on. "I have an early meeting with my advisor in the morning to go over classes for next year and I still have a couple assignments to finish. Believe me, the last thing I want to do is leave you alone in that bed."

Blaine huffed out a breath and Kurt couldn't help but blush slightly under Blaine's intense stare. He wanted to reach down and pull the covers over his half-naked body, but he pushed those thoughts away. Blaine was his boyfriend and it was nice to know he was appreciated in such a manner. No one had ever looked at him the way Blaine did – like he was something to be treasured and adored and occasionally ravished. So, instead of shying away from the scrutiny, he stretched his arms over his head, putting himself on display. Blaine groaned audibly and rushed back to the bed to kiss Kurt deeply. Kurt returned the kiss eagerly, tugging on Blaine's bottom lip with his teeth he pulled away.

"God, I hate you," Blaine muttered as he stood again.

"No, you don't," Kurt teased.

"No," Blaine said with a soft smile. "No, I really don't."

Kurt's heart fluttered at Blaine's words. It was much too soon for words like _love_ (wasn't it?), but the thought that maybe Blaine could made his mind race with excitement.

* * *

Then suddenly, it was Saturday afternoon and Kurt still hadn't decided what to do about Blaine's invitation for tomorrow. He wanted to talk to someone about it, but he wasn't sure if the job was something Blaine would feel comfortable with Kurt sharing. Blaine had said it wasn't something he was embarrassed about, but at the same time he obviously didn't just freely share that information with everyone. That left only one person Kurt could really talk to – Puck.

He sent Puck a quick text and, luckily, he was free to meet. They arranged to meet at a diner near the campus so Kurt could go talk to Blaine once he'd figured out what to do.

After his shift at the coffee shop, Kurt caught the subway over to NYU and snagged a table near the door while he waited for Puck. He'd been thinking all day about what he wanted to do and he was no closer to an answer than he had been when Blaine first asked him. There were pros and cons for both sides of the argument and he really hoped Puck could help him sort things out.

Puck slid into the booth a few minutes later and they spent some time catching up while they decided on what to eat. After placing their orders, Puck just looked at Kurt.

"So, what's going on?" he asked. "Do I need to get on Blaine about something?"

"No, nothing like that," Kurt said. "I do need to talk to you about Blaine, but it's nothing bad."

Kurt paused and took a deep breath. He'd thought he could do this, but now that he was here, he wasn't so sure. Why did he think he could come to Puck for relationship advice?

"Come on, Hummel," Puck prodded. "It can't be that bad."

"It's not," Kurt agreed. "It's just kind of… awkward."

"Ah," Puck said. "Does this have to do with Blaine's modeling?"

"Yes," Kurt said. "And I'm fine with it; I really am."

"Have you seen it?"

"Um, yeah," Kurt said. "It's kind of how we met."

"I thought you met at the coffee shop?"

Kurt sighed and told Puck an abbreviated version of how he first "met" Blaine and his first few months in the city.

Puck doubled over in laughter when Kurt was done.

"Sorry," he said, wiping at the tears in his eyes. "I'm not laughing at you, I promise. But, oh man, I am going to have fun teasing Blaine about this one."

Kurt had to admit, it was a little funny.

"Okay. So, what's the problem?" Puck asked.

"Blaine asked me to come with him to the shoot he's doing tomorrow."

"Okay. And?"

"And that's it?" Kurt said.

"Still not seeing what the problem is."

"I guess I'm just worried about it being awkward. I don't want to end up standing in the corner all weirded out by everything."

"But you've already seen him naked," Puck said.

"I know, but that was just pictures. Won't it be a little different if I'm there, live and in person?"

"Wait a minute," Puck said. "You mean you guys haven't, like, done it yet?"

"No," Kurt said defensively.

"No, hey, no judgment. That's cool," Puck said. "Just with the way you guys are always making googly eyes at each other, I figured you had."

"Well, we haven't," Kurt replied.

"Okay. So, what's the worst that could happen?" Puck asked. "You go; it gets weird or whatever, so you leave. I'm sure Blaine would understand."

Kurt paused to consider Puck's response as their food was delivered. They ate silently for a few minutes before Puck spoke up again.

"Look, at the end of the day, Blaine asked you to come, so he obviously wants you there. I think if he's okay with it, you should be, too. After all, he's the one that's gonna be naked, not you."

"You're right," Kurt said. "If Blaine wants me there, I can be there."

* * *

The next morning, Kurt met up with Blaine at one of the subway stops near NYU after dropping his college applications in the mail. The shoot was taking place at a private residence out in Brooklyn, so they had about a 45 minute ride to get there. Kurt smiled as he saw Blaine waiting with two cups of coffee for them.

"Thank you," he said, taking the cup and greeting Blaine with a kiss.

"Mm, you're welcome," Blaine replied. "I'm glad you decided to come with me today. I think you're going to have a lot of fun."

They made it down to the platform just as the train pulled in and quickly found seats. Being early on a Sunday, the car was relatively empty.

"I hope so," Kurt said, his knee bouncing with nervousness.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah," Kurt said. "Just, you know, the nakedness and everything."

"It'll be fine. I promise," Blaine said.

Kurt believed him. He did. They had talked through all of his reservations last night. Blaine had assured Kurt that if it was too much and he wanted to wait somewhere else while Blaine did the shoot that that was fine. Kurt wanted to be okay with what happened today, though; he didn't want to be scared of physical intimacy anymore. As much as he'd progressed in his comfort with Blaine, it was also starting to make him want _more_ , but he had no idea how to get there. Maybe today could help break down that last barrier.

Soon enough, they reached their stop and headed up the stairs for a short walk to the location. Blaine held firmly to Kurt's hand the whole time, casually brushing his thumb back and forth across Kurt's knuckles. The weather also did a lot to help calm Kurt's nerves. It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine and a warm breeze. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and there was no way anything horrible could happen on a day like this. Blaine regaled Kurt with amusing stories from past shoots as they walked. Kurt found himself actually looking forward to what was going to happen.

"Here we are," Blaine said.

Kurt looked up, impressed with what he saw. It was an old, red brick row house. The front stoop and sidewalk were lined with beautifully potted plants; the front door was painted bright yellow. It was a very friendly house.

They walked in the front door and right into chaos. People were running everywhere; guys were wandering around in various states of undress. It was insanity. But even through all the hubbub, Kurt felt immensely relieved. There was nothing sleazy about this place. It was warmly lit and plushly appointed. He knew Blaine wouldn't be involved with anything seedy, but it was still a relief to see it with his own eyes.

"Come on," Blaine said with a smile.

Kurt held tight to Blaine's hand as they made their way through the ground floor of the house. People called out greetings to Blaine as they passed with Blaine responding in kind. The finally stopped when they found the photographer.

They were in the kitchen, the photographer calling out directions to the guy wearing the tiniest apron Kurt had ever seen, who was slicing strawberries and eating them as seductively as possible. There were bowls of whipped cream and melted chocolate on the counter, too. Kurt's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and a bit of lust. His pants suddenly felt two sizes too small.

"That's Sam," Blaine said, gesturing to the model.

Kurt recognized him from the site, but looked him over now that he had the chance. He had a head of shaggy blond hair that Kurt was certain had to come from a bottle and a set of washboard abs that wouldn't quit. He was currently licking melted chocolate off his fingers while Kurt's mouth ran dry.

"He looks… nice," Kurt said.

"Yeah," Blaine agreed. "He's pretty cool."

Sam's shoot finished not long after they arrived and everyone came over to say hi to Blaine.

"This is my boyfriend, Kurt," Blaine introduced. "Kurt this is Sam and Logan, our photographer."

Logan looked like he was in his mid-thirties with the lightly tanned skin of someone who spent a lot of time outside. A black beanie sat on his head, covering most of the curly, dirty blond hair Kurt saw poking out. He wore an old, faded black AC/DC concert tee with a green plaid flannel over it. Worn in dark blue jeans were capped off with paint splattered Converse. When he smiled, he showed a row of bright white teeth and his eyes crinkled in that way that people who smile a lot get. Kurt liked him.

"It's nice to meet you," Kurt said, shaking their hands. "I promise I'll try not to get in the way."

Logan laughed politely. "I'm sure you'll be fine," he said.

Then Blaine was shuttled off to see Alice, the wardrobe stylist and Logan's girlfriend. The dining room off the kitchen had been transformed into the make-up and wardrobe room. It was brightly lit, with pale yellow walls, and bleached wood wainscoting. The wardrobe rack and a small table against the wall were stocked mostly with underwear, but there were several pairs of jeans and a dozen or so t-shirts, too.

"Hey, Blaine," she said, greeting him with a hug. "Who's this cutie?"

"This is Kurt, my boyfriend," Blaine said.

Like Logan, Kurt instantly liked Alice. She had strawberry blonde hair that almost reached her waist and a creamy complexion with freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks. She was wearing a white v-neck t-shirt with jeans cut off at the knees and a pair of battered, red Pumas. Her smile was just as bright as Logan's and he could instantly tell why they were together.

"You lucked out with the weather today," she said to Blaine.

"Why's that?" Blaine asked.

"You're doing the garden shoot today. It's going to be amazing."

"Oh, cool! That sounds like fun."

"There'll be minimal hair and make-up since you'll be getting a little wet, too. Let me go track down Jamie and we'll get you started."

"Jamie is the make-up artist," Blaine explained as Alice left.

A petite Asian woman with an asymmetrical bob rushed into the room a short time later and pulled Blaine over to the one make-up chair that had been set-up. She briefly introduced herself to Kurt and then immediately launched into a conversation with Blaine that sounded like it had been picked up in the middle of a longer discussion. She was talking a mile a minute while flitting around Blaine. A cream based foundation and concealer were applied before black eye liner was smudged on.

"Shirt off, please," Jamie said when she was done with his face.

Blaine stood and easily unbuttoned the red gingham shirt he had on. Kurt forced himself not to blush and turn away. Blaine was his boyfriend. It was perfectly acceptable for him to look.

"There's some ivy out in the garden where the shoot is going to be, so Logan wants some tattoos on your arms to mimic that," Jamie explained.

"Oo. Tattoos," Blaine said winking at Kurt.

Kurt laughed in response. "I've always wanted to date a bad boy," he teased.

"Really now?" Blaine said. "Maybe I should make one of these permanent, then."

Kurt just hummed in response. He had never really understood the whole "bad boy" thing, but he didn't exactly _dislike_ tattoos on principle or anything. If Blaine wanted a tattoo, Kurt certainly wouldn't stop him.

Jamie started by smoothing the same foundation she had used on his face down over his chest and arm to make sure everything blended together and then she got to work. By the time she was done, there was a series of intricate black lines winding around Blaine's left arm from his wrist to his shoulder, across the back of his neck, and spreading down over his left shoulder blade. The final touches were put on and the overall effect was…. The eye liner was subtle and seemed to make Blaine's eyes larger and brighter. His hair was left natural, with only a little product to separate and tame the curls. A shimmery cream had been rubbed over Blaine's cheekbones, highlighting them and giving his face an ethereal quality that seemed at odds with the harsh black ink. He looked…

"How do I look?" Blaine asked.

"Hot," Kurt breathed. "Really hot."

"I think I would really like to kiss you right now, but Jamie will kill me if I smear her make-up."

"Damn right, I will," she called from where she was cleaning up.

"Well, then," Kurt said, clearing his throat. "I hope Logan is able to get your shots done quickly."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Kurt agreed.

Blaine nodded and swallowed audibly before heading over to Alice who was flipping through the wardrobe options. She had several pairs of black and white underwear pulled to the side. The waistbands had names like 2xist, Andrew Christian, and David Beckham on them. One thing was for sure, Blaine would look incredible in whatever they put him in. Alice handed a few pairs to Blaine who ducked behind a privacy screen to try them on.

"So, Kurt," Alice said. "You ever think of doing any modeling?"

"Uh, no," Kurt laughed. "No, this isn't really for me."

"That's a shame. Your bone structure would look amazing on camera."

"Well, thank you. That's very flattering."

"Okay. Pair number one," Blaine said.

Kurt's jaw dropped as Blaine stepped out from behind the screen to model the first pair of underwear. It was a black pair of [ Andrew Christian](http://media.tumblr.com/6a4a152f3309b0ebe7dcdbd1128ad3fc/tumblr_inline_mhgzpb0zNz1qz4rgp.jpg) trunks with a thick white band around the waist and legs, and white seams around the crotch that perfectly accentuated Blaine's… _assets_. Blaine had an amazing body, all compact muscle and lean limbs, and he had this little tummy that Kurt knew he was self conscious about, but Kurt secretly loved. It just made him so perfectly… Blaine.

Alice started giggling as Kurt stood there speechless, just staring. "Yes," she said. "I think those will do nicely. Kurt?"

"Yes," Kurt said. "Yes, those are… very nice."

Blaine arched an eyebrow at Kurt and did a little turn to show off the other side. The way the trunks clung to Blaine's backside was positively obscene. They were riding so low on his hips that the dimples on the base of Blaine's spine were visible. By the time Blaine finished turning around, Kurt's mind was racing and his heart was pounding. The visuals running through his brain were suddenly so vivid, it was a little overwhelming.

"All right, you," Alice scolded Blaine. "Enough of that. Logan said to head out back once you were ready, which I think you are. Now, behave."

Blaine led Kurt out through the kitchen to the backyard. There was a stonewall, about six and a half feet high, separating this particular yard from its neighbors. This is the wall that was covered in ivy and Kurt could immediately see how the fake tattoos on Blaine's skin would work in the setting.

"You ready, Blaine?" Logan asked.

"Yeah," Blaine replied. "What's the set-up?"

"We'll start here, against the wall," Logan said. "Some shots from the front, but I'm seeing most with you facing the wall, showing off the tattoos. Then, if there's time, I'd like to do something in the dirt and flowerbeds."

"Sounds good," Blaine said.

Kurt stood back and watched as they did some test shots to get the lighting right and then got down to work. If seeing the finished product of these photo shoots was enough to get Kurt's blood pumping, it was nothing compared to watching Blaine work.

He was electric. Modeling, it turned out, was a study in subtlety – a shift of an arm there, a pop of his hip there, tilt the chin up, look left, look down.

They started with Blaine facing the camera, his arms tangling with the ivy. Alice joined them a few minutes later and, with Logan's direction, moved some of the ivy to twine around Blaine's legs. Once Logan was back in position behind the camera and he started shooting, something had shifted in Blaine's face. What was usually a face Kurt loved to look at for its openness and bright smile had transformed into something dark and sinister. That look combined with the way his muscles were tensed and he was pulling at the vines, made it seem as if the ivy was the only thing keeping Blaine from attacking the camera like a wild animal.

Kurt was strangely aroused by the whole thing.

Despite his earlier crack at Blaine's temporary tattoos, he really hadn't ever wanted to date a bad boy. The bad boys had never been nice to him. That was what he wanted: someone nice, who would romance him and treat him with respect. Maybe it was just the fact that it was _Blaine_ that Kurt found attractive. Blaine, who he knew to be sweet and kind and gentle. Seeing him expose this kind of passion and intensity was truly affecting. Kurt swallowed thickly around the lump in his throat.

"Okay, Blaine," Logan called. "Let's turn around."

Blaine untangled himself from the vines and turned his back to the camera. He positioned himself with his arms up at shoulder height, his elbows bent at right angles, and his hands grasping the wall as if he were trying to climb it. His left leg was pushed out to the side, his knee bent and heel popped.

"Good," Logan said. "Look over to your right, chin up."

Blaine moved as instructed and Logan called out for him to hold it. Again, they went through a series of subtle adjustments – move that hand up, move that leg over – to try and get the perfect shot. It was a really amazing thing to watch.

"Alice, can we get the hose now?" Logan asked a few minutes later.

"You got it," Alice replied.

She went and dragged the hose from where it connected to the house to a ladder that Kurt hadn't even seen set up by the wall. She climbed a few steps so she was higher than Blaine and then called out to Kurt.

"Could you go turn the water on, sweetie?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course," Kurt said. He shook himself out of the stupor he had been in (Blaine's butt was really quite hypnotizing) and jogged over to open the tap.

Blaine had stepped out of the way while Alice and Logan figured out the best combination of nozzle and pressure to use and where to put the lighting so the "rain" would actually be visible in the pictures.

"You having fun?" he asked Kurt.

"Um, yeah," Kurt said. "It's a lot more involved than I thought it was. I may have every episode of America's Next Top Model committed to memory, but it's still nothing like the real thing."

"You can say that again," Blaine agreed. "Those girls really don't know how good they have it. But, this shoot is moving pretty quickly, even with all this. Which is good, because as nice as the weather is, it's a little chilly in just my underwear."

"I can imagine," Kurt said. He wanted to wrap his arms around Blaine and try to warm him up somehow, but he also didn't want to have to incur whatever wrath might occur should be mess up the body art.

Blaine was called back over after that and the shoot resumed. If seeing Blaine half-naked was enough to get Kurt's heart pounding, it was nothing compared to Blaine half-naked and _wet_. It took every ounce of willpower Kurt had not to rush in there and start pawing at him. The water was falling over his body, trailing down his muscles and highlighting every delicious dip and groove.

The shoot continued in that manner for another twenty minutes or so, with Kurt's pants becoming impossibly tighter with every click of the camera's shutter.

"Okay, Blaine. Shorts off," Logan called.

Shit. How had Kurt forgotten? Well, no time to worry about that now. Blaine just stripped his underwear off with no hesitation and tossed them in Kurt's direction with a sly wink.

Kurt was going to die.

Blaine's ass was… perfect. He'd felt it under his hands a few times by now, but seeing it bared like this was enough to make Kurt a little light headed. It was pert, muscular, and dimpled in on the side when he clenched his muscles. Kurt licked his lips as a series of highly pornographic images ran through his head.

Blaine threw one last look over his shoulder, right at Kurt, looking up through his lashes that were beaded with water. Kurt swore his heart stopped in that moment.

"That's great, Blaine," Logan said. "I think we're done here if you want to move over to the garden."

Kurt was not prepared for Blaine to just turn around and casually stroll over to the flower beds and small patch of dirt like he wasn't completely buck ass naked. Kurt's eyes seemed to be magnetized as they immediately dropped to Blaine's crotch where his dick was hanging, half-hard. Kurt's mouth watered as he imagined what it would taste like and how it would feel on his tongue. Once he realized how hard he was staring, he turned around to face the patio door and took a couple deep, calming breaths.

He could do this; it was fine. Blaine was his boyfriend and he was totally allowed to look. He was just about to turn around when he felt something land on top of his left shoe. He looked down to see a chunk of mud sitting on his toes. He whipped around and saw Blaine grinning wickedly, his right hand covered in the offending substance.

"Hey!" Kurt called out, stalking over to Blaine.

"Oh, come on," Blaine said. "You're wearing Doc Marten's. It's not like I just ruined them or anything."

"True enough," Kurt said, stooping to grab a small handful of mud before stepping into Blaine's space. "But what if your aim had been off and you had hit, say, my arm instead."

Kurt reached out and smeared the dirt into Blaine's shoulder and down over his bicep, carefully avoiding the painted on vines.

"Well, then," Blaine said, rubbing a little bit of dirt on the end of Kurt's nose. "I guess you would have to take your shirt off."

The air was suddenly thick and heavy with tension between them. Blaine's gaze kept flicking between Kurt's eyes and mouth. Kurt bit his bottom lip in response and internally cheered at the small moan Blaine let out. Kurt blinked slowly and leaned in and –

"That's actually not a bad idea."

Kurt and Blaine both turned and looked over to see Logan staring at them, a thoughtful look on his face. Alice was next to him, her arms folded across her chest as she nodded along.

"Yeah, this could work," he continued. "Kurt, have you ever considered modeling?"

"What?" Kurt said, his eyes bugging out of his head as he realized what Logan was asking. "I… No. No, I don't really think…"

"We've never done anything with couples," Logan continued, as if Kurt hadn't spoken. "And you two are stunning together. We could even turn this into a monthly feature or something."

Kurt turned to look at Blaine. The loudest part of his brain was shouting, "Oh, hell no. This guy is crazy." But there was another, quieter, part of his brain that seemed to be urging him to say yes. After all, these last few months had been all about discovering who the new Kurt Hummel was. Sure, there was no way the old Kurt Hummel would do anything like this in a million years. But would the new Kurt? Blaine just shrugged and spread his hands as if to tell Kurt it was his choice.

"What, um, what did you have in mind exactly?" Kurt asked Logan.

"Something that tells a story," Logan said. "Maybe Blaine is your gardener and you come home to find him naked in your flower beds. There's a little seduction, a little playing in the mud. Just… easy, fun."

"Would I have to be totally naked?"

"Not necessarily," Logan replied, thinking it over. "I think we could get away with having you in your underwear, if that's what you want."

Kurt's gut twisted as he thought over Logan's proposal. Did he want to put himself out there like that? Was he really ready for that? He knew his body wasn't exactly up to the standards of the other models and there was a chance that Logan wouldn't even want to do this after he saw what Kurt looked like. But, well, he wouldn't know unless he tried, right?

"I'll do it," Kurt said, before he could talk himself out of it.

"Excellent!" Logan said. "Alice, can you see if we have any release forms lying around? And, what did we get for wardrobe?"

Kurt tuned them out as they chatted about the various options available and his mind whirled with thoughts of what he had just agreed to do.

"You don't have to do this, you know," Blaine said quietly, taking Kurt’s hand in his.

"I know," Kurt replied. "I want to, though. I'm more nervous about this than anything I've ever done, but I want to do this. These last few months, I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone, out of the rut I was stuck in. Why not try some nude modeling?"

"You're amazing," Blaine said, leaning in to kiss Kurt deeply.

They were interrupted by Alice who had the forms Kurt would need to sign before they were both taken back to wardrobe.

"Logan wants you back in a pair of jeans," she told Blaine. "Make the whole seduction thing a little more fun."

The second wardrobe fitting went as quickly as the first. Blaine was given a pair of red trunks with white accents around the waist, legs, and crotch, a pair of loose fitting, light-washed Levi's, and told to go roll around in the mud to get them dirty. He left Kurt with a laugh and a kiss on the cheek. This was fine; he could do this.

"Now, for you," Alice said, turning a critical eye on him. "I'm glad to see you're not afraid of skinny jeans, so let's do this."

She pulled a pair of blue striped Calvin Klein trunks, a pair of slim cut Lucky Brand jeans, and a plain white t-shirt.

"Let's start with that," she said, directing Kurt to the changing area. "Come out when you have the underwear on."

Kurt undressed carefully, folding his clothes neatly and placing them on one of the chairs that was behind the screen. He slid the underwear on and steeled himself to go show Alice. He was about to be much more exposed in front of a lot more people, so he better get used to this fast. He stepped out from behind the partition and waited for Alice's reaction. The longer she looked without saying anything, the more uncomfortable Kurt got. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to shield his flabby abs from her criticism.

"No, stop that," she said, swatting at his arms. "Your skin is just so beautiful. You're going to look wonderful on film."

"Well, thank you," Kurt said, with a small smile.

"And the color on those shorts really bring out your eyes. Okay, get into the jeans and t-shirt and then Jamie needs to see you."

Kurt quickly ducked behind the screen and finished dressing, marveling that Alice had got the sizes perfect without even asking or taking any measurements. She was good.

Then he was in front of Jamie who was grumbling over the amount of product in his hair.

"Sorry?" Kurt shrugged.

"Eh, that's all right," she said. "I can work with it."

She spritzed his hair, getting it slightly damp, but not too wet. Then, working with the product he already had in, she managed to rearrange it into that artfully tousled look that Kurt had never quite been able to achieve on his own. A few pieces were falling forward over his forehead with the rest seemingly doing whatever it wanted. It looked good, though. It was, dare Kurt say it, _sex hair_.

"Okay," Jamie said. "You're all set."

"Thanks," Kurt said, smiling tightly as his nerves returned. He stood up and slowly made his way back out to the garden.

"Wow," Blaine said, as Kurt stepped outside. "You look fantastic."

"Thank you," Kurt replied. "And, I must admit, mud is a pretty good look for you."

Blaine had apparently taken Alice's suggestion to heart as he had large patches of mud and grass stains on his jeans, with streaks covering his arms and torso.

"Okay," Logan said. "So, the set-up is this: Kurt you've just come home to find Blaine sunbathing in the yard, instead of working. Kurt you'll need to be upset and mad at first, admonishing Blaine for his laziness. But, there's always been an undercurrent of something more than just employer and employee between you. Blaine, you take advantage of that and start seducing Kurt. Lots of touching, undressing. We'll just keep it easy and loose. Do what feels natural; talk to each other. And we'll see what we get, okay?"

"Sounds good," Blaine said as Kurt nodded.

Logan conferred with Alice and directed Blaine to recline in the mud, his eyes closed as if basking in the sun, and for Kurt to start off to one side, looking mad and upset. Once they were in position, he went back to the camera and took a couple test shots to double check the lighting.

"Okay," he called. "Everything looks good. Go ahead and have fun."

Kurt stood there awkwardly for a few moments, glaring at Blaine. He wondered if he should say something to get started when Blaine slowly blinked his eyes open.

"Oh, Mr. Hummel," he said, a small smile on his face. "I didn't expect you home so early."

"Yes, well," Kurt replied, taking a moment to find his character. "You seem to be awfully messy; though I'm not sure why as the work I asked you to do is clearly not finished."

"I'm so sorry. It's just such a lovely day-"

"Well, I don't pay you to lounge around sunbathing," Kurt snapped. "I told you I wanted those azalea bushes planted yesterday and I don't see them. Where are my azalea bushes, Blaine?"

"You seem awfully tense, Mr. Hummel," Blaine said, rising to his knees and crawling right into Kurt's space. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Blaine looked up at Kurt through his lashes as his hands came up and pushed at Kurt's t-shirt. He leaned in and pressed a soft, close-mouthed kiss to the strip of skin he exposed and Kurt had to bite his lip from moaning out loud as his dick started hardening.

"Why don't you let me take care of you?" Blaine whispered.

Kurt immediately dropped to his knees and smashed his mouth to Blaine's. His hands tangled in Blaine's hair and stroked across his back, feeling the muscles tense and move with every touch. Blaine reached down and swiftly pulled Kurt's tee off. Kurt was leaning back in for a kiss when something cold and clammy collided with his chest. He looked down to see Blaine's mud covered hand resting over his heart.

"Oops?" Blaine said with a smirk.

"That was not an 'oops'," Kurt replied. He reached down and grabbed some mud of his own, smearing it over Blaine's collarbone. "Oops."

Blaine laughed before smearing another handful of mud across Kurt's shoulder; Kurt retaliated with a smudge over Blaine's nose. They continued that way for several minutes before Kurt grabbed some mud in both hands and reached up to smear it over both of Blaine's cheeks. Kurt expected Blaine to recoil in disgust, but he simply closed his eyes and smiled beatifically at Kurt, as if he were being baptized. When he opened his eyes, the look on his face was one of peace and openness; it took Kurt's breath away.

Kurt rushed forward, crushing his mouth to Blaine's. He suddenly _wanted_ so much. He raked his fingers down Blaine's back, feeling bold enough to slip them under his jeans and underwear to grab at Blaine's bare ass.

"Cut! That's great!"

Kurt pulled away from Blaine as if he'd been burned. He'd gotten so lost in the feeling and emotions of what was happening that he had forgotten they had an audience. He turned back to Blaine, his mouth gaping open as he tried to figure out what to say or do.

Blaine cleared his throat and finally seemed to gather himself together. "That's all?" he asked.

"Yeah," Logan replied. "We'll start with just a little tease. If the folks in charge like it, then we can see about continuing."

"Sounds good," Blaine said. "Can we get cleaned up, then?"

"Yeah," Alice replied. "There's a bathroom with a shower just at the top of the stairs. Be careful not to track too much dirt with you. Actually, give me your pants and I'll get them into plastic bags."

She dashed inside, presumably for the plastic bags, while Kurt and Blaine stood there awkwardly. The jeans Kurt was wearing were tight, but they still afford him a modicum of privacy that a pair of cotton boxer briefs had no hope of doing. He glanced at Blaine and noticed he was in the same condition.

"It's okay," Blaine whispered. "They've all seen much more than this. No one will bat an eye."

Kurt just nodded, his cheeks still flaming in embarrassment despite Blaine's words. It's not that he regretted doing this. Not at all. He's just a little shocked that he had gotten so lost in it all.

"Here we go!" Alice called, interrupting Kurt's thoughts.

She held out a large, plastic garbage bag and they dropped their jeans into it. Blaine stood there unashamed, his hard dick tenting the front of his red trunks obscenely. Kurt's hands dropped to cover himself from whoever might be looking.

"Have fun boys," Alice said with a wink.

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and dragged him into the house and up the stairs. The sound of the bathroom door slamming shut finally snapped Kurt out of the fog he had been in.

He pounced.

He shoved Blaine against the door and their mouths met in a heated kiss. They were pressed together from shoulder to hip, rutting against each other with a passion Kurt had never before experienced. Blaine's lips trailed off Kurt's mouth, over his jaw, and down his neck.

"That was so hot," Blaine whispered. "Knowing you were watching me? I've never felt anything like that."

"You were so amazing," Kurt replied, tilting his neck to allow Blaine more access. "So… sexy and… and-"

Kurt's speech was cut short as Blaine sank his teeth into Kurt's collarbone. 

"Blaine," he moaned. "Blaine, I want…"

"What? What do you want?"

"I want to suck you," Kurt said, before he could change his mind.

"Yes," Blaine replied, his lips finding Kurt's again. "Yes, please."

Kurt dropped to his knees, peppering kisses to the parts of Blaine's skin that were not covered in mud or ink. When he reached the waistband of Blaine's trunks, he took a moment to just breathe in Blaine's scent. The smell of Blaine's sex and sweat flooded his nostrils; his mouth flooded with saliva in anticipation.

He carefully pulled Blaine's underwear down, allowing him to step out of them as he got his first look at Blaine's hard cock. He'd felt it against his own and in his palm a few times, but it had always been under the cover of darkness. It was about as long as his own, but slightly thicker. He wrapped one hand around it and stroked it a few times. Precome dripped out of the tip and Kurt leaned forward to lap gently at it. The salty, bitter taste exploded on his tongue. Blaine's hips thrust forward at the contact and the moan he let out reverberated around the small room. Spurred on by Blaine's obvious pleasure, Kurt took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and sunk as far down Blaine's cock as he could go.

The taste of Blaine’s skin on his tongue made him dizzy with desire. It was salty, bitter, and so very _male_. Kurt moaned around Blaine’s cock, stroking his hand along the sensitive skin in time with his mouth.

“Ku-urt,” Blaine moaned, his hands falling to tangle in Kurt’s hair.

Kurt’s mouth flooded with saliva and precome. It dribbled out of the corners of his mouth and ran down his chin. His eyes were watering and he was sure he looked an absolute mess, but he didn’t care. He loved it; he’d never felt more alive than he did in this moment. The feeling of power and control this gave him was astounding. He wanted more; he wanted all of it.

“Kurt,” Blaine whispered, tapping at his skull. “I’m – I’m gonna –“

Kurt knew what Blaine was trying to tell him, but he didn’t care. He wanted everything Blaine had to give. He was soon rewarded as his mouth was filled with the bitter taste of _Blaine_. It came faster than he expected and he pulled off suddenly when he started to cough. Blaine wasn’t done, though, and the last few splashes landed on Kurt’s cheek and chin.

Blaine slumped down against the door once he was done, falling forward to rest his forehead against Kurt’s shoulder with his eyes closed as he tried to put himself back together. Kurt panted harshly, the sounds of his breath echoing harshly in the small room.

Blaine finally opened his eyes, sat back on his heels, and gasped. Kurt knew he had to look ridiculous, but was it really so bad? Blaine, however, surprised Kurt by reaching out and drawing Kurt to him, gently wiping away the mess on his face.

“I must look like such a mess,” Kurt whispered, surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded.

“You’ve never looked more beautiful,” Blaine said, a soft smile on his face.

Kurt leaned forward, pressing his lips to Blaine’s. Blaine immediately opened to him and their tongues tangled together messily.

“Come on,” Blaine said, helping Kurt to stand.

He pulled back the shower curtain and started the water. As they waited for it to warm up, Blaine turned back to Kurt, helping him out of his underwear. He stroked Kurt’s half-hard cock gently, bringing it back to life. Kurt sighed and leaned into Blaine’s body, wrapping his arms loosely around Blaine’s shoulders. He could feel his pulse start to quicken at Blaine’s touch, but he wasn’t in any rush.

Once steam started to fill the room, Blaine pulled away from Kurt and reached back into the shower to adjust the temperature. He guided Kurt inside, sliding the curtain closed behind them. Blaine pulled Kurt back into his arms, stroking over his skin before once more dropping his hand to encircle Kurt’s now throbbing cock.

He worked Kurt slowly and gently. His mouth kissed across Kurt’s neck and shoulder as his hand moved over Kurt’s cock, twisting when he reached the head and swiping his thumb over Kurt’s slit. Kurt shivered despite the warm water.

All too soon, Kurt felt the familiar tingle at the base of his spine. He grasped onto Blaine as his orgasm poured out of him and over Blaine’s hand. He collapsed against Blaine once he was spent, relaxing as Blaine rubbed his back soothingly. He had never felt so cared for or… _loved_.

“I love you,” he whispered, unable to hold it in any longer.

“I love you, too,” Blaine replied.

They cleaned up quickly after that, gently washing each other down and trading lazy kisses. They dried off and Kurt looked around for his clothes before remembering they were still downstairs in the wardrobe area.

“Our clothes are still downstairs,” Blaine said, as if reading Kurt’s mind.

“Yeah,” Kurt replied.

He pulled the towel tighter around himself and glanced at the door warily. He’d already walked through the house in just his underwear, but the thought of having to go out there in just a towel was suddenly too much.

“Hey,” Blaine said, placing his hand gently on Kurt’s arm. “I’ll go get our stuff and bring it back here. It’s fine.”

“Okay,” Kurt said. “Thanks.”

“Be right back,” Blaine replied, dropping a quick kiss to Kurt’s lips before parting.

Kurt sat on the closed toilet as he waited for Blaine to return. His mind couldn’t help thinking over what Blaine had said in the shower – he loved Kurt back. Kurt smiled and buried his face in his hands as he squealed a little in happiness. This was just the most amazing thing. Never in a million years did he think he would find someone like Blaine. But he had and they were in love and could life get any better than this?

* * *

Two months later, Kurt had just finished his shift at the coffee shop and was on his way home to clean up before meeting Blaine and some of their friends for dinner. He stopped to grab the mail from the box in the lobby and was surprised as it practically exploded onto the floor. They rarely got much more than bills and the occasional magazine or catalog, but today there were several thick envelopes. He gathered everything carefully and stuffed it in his bag before climbing the stairs to his apartment.

Once inside, he dropped his bag on the kitchen table and got himself a glass of water. Then, he went back to his bag and pulled out the mail. He sorted the bills between himself and his roommate, tossed the few pieces of junk mail, and almost choked on the water he was sipping when he saw the return address on the first large envelope – Tisch. It was quite large and stuffed full. Kurt’s heart raced as he realized what it most likely meant. He pulled out the other two envelopes, which were just as large and heavy, and saw they were from Parsons and FIT.

He sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs as the realization flooded over him. He had, most likely, been accepted at all three schools. He had been so sure that not even one of them would accept him that he had put it all out of his mind and now he was going to have to try and choose between them. But he wouldn’t know what choice to make until he read what they had to say.

He opened the package from FIT first as that had been a total long shot as far as he had been concerned. Their letter seemed to indicate otherwise, though. They had been very impressed by his portfolio and letters of recommendation. They were even offering him a partial scholarship that would help immensely.

The letter from Parsons was similar, but more money was being offered. He read through the packet of information twice, trying to absorb everything that he would be able to learn at such a prestigious institution.

Finally, Kurt opened the package from Tisch. It opened with a fairly standard acceptance letter, but when he got down to the section about scholarships, his jaw dropped. They were giving him a full ride. Kurt sat there, stunned for a moment at the news. This wasn’t the kind of thing that happened to him. Kurt Hummel didn’t get good news like this.

Well, the old Kurt Hummel didn’t. He was, after all, the new Kurt Hummel. The new Kurt had a boyfriend and friends and a full ride to be able to study at one of the top schools in the country. Maybe it was time to finally say good-bye to the old Kurt Hummel.

He glanced at the clock and saw that he only had ten minutes before he had to leave. He quickly changed his clothes and touched up his hair before dashing out the door to meet his friends.

Blaine was waiting for him outside the restaurant when Kurt arrived. He was in such a good mood that he couldn’t help running up to Blaine and pulling him in for a hug and kiss.

“What was that for?” Blaine asked as they pulled apart. “Not that I’m not just as happy to see you, too.”

“I heard back from the schools I applied to,” Kurt replied with a grin.

“Good news, I take it?”

“I got in to all of them!” Kurt exclaimed.

“Kurt!” Blaine cried, pulling Kurt back in for another hug. “I knew you could do it.”

“That’s not even the best part,” Kurt added, still wrapped in Blaine’s arms. “Tisch is giving me a full scholarship. I won’t have to worry about how I’m going to pay for school.”

“That’s fantastic. I’m so proud of you,” Blaine said.

Kurt couldn’t help tearing up a little at Blaine’s words. It has been a long time since anyone had told him that and he had started to think he might not hear it again.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you, too,” Blaine replied, pulling back to kiss him lightly. “Come on. Let’s go tell your friends the good news.”

They walked hand in hand into the restaurant and everyone was overjoyed when they heard Kurt’s news.

He looked around the table at everyone laughing and talking and enjoying their lives. This. This was what his life was supposed to be. He was so happy he had finally made it and that he had someone like Blaine to share it with.

_And life couldn’t possibly better be.  
-The Court Jester_


End file.
